The Pakistani Taleban leader, who allegedly masterminded the 2009 deadly attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, has been killed by Afghan security forces, said militant sources on 10 October.
According to Agence France-Presse, a Taleban commander said the leader of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi sectarian group Qari Ajmal, accused of allying with the terror group Tehreek-e-Taleban Pakistan, was killed in a raid by Afghan and Nato forces in Paktika province in Afghanistan on 7 October.
"Qari Ajmal along with other fellow Taleban fighters have been killed in a clash with Afghan and Nato troops," added a second commander, according to the news agency.
AFP also reported that the provincial police chief of Paktika Khalilullah Ziaee also confirmed three terrorists had been captured and one killed in a raid conducted by Afghan commandos.
The police chief also said that they are not able to identify them by name at this stage but confirmed that the terrorists were Pakistani nationals.
A Nato spokesman also confirmed that counter-terrorism operation was conducted by Afghan and US forces in Paktika on Saturday, as reported by AFP.
Qari Ajmal has been held responsible for attacking the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, Pakistan. He has been sought after in the country thereafter.
On 4 March 2009, ahead of the second Test's third day's play against Pakistan, the Sri Lankan team bus was fired upon by 12 gunmen, near the Gaddafi Stadium. Seven cricketers, including Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, were injured and six police men and two civilians were killed in the attack.
Also, senior Sri Lankan cricketer Thilan Samaraweera was hospitalised after suffering a thigh injury during the attack.
All international cricket matches in Pakistan were suspended after the attack and the national team had to play its home matches at neutral venues such as the United Arab Emirates.
Qari Ajmal is the second senior Pakistani Taleban leader to be killed in Afghanistan in recent weeks.
On September, Taleban commander Raeas Khan, also known as Azam Khan Tariq, was killed along with other 10 other militants in Paktika.
